Pauline Priano has submitted the following:-
John Thomas Dunning, one of 8 children of whom only 7 survived, was the 1st born of 2 sons and has 4 elder and 1 younger sister. His parents were both born in County Durham, father Thomas Dunning July 21st 1866 at Willington and mother Margaret Maughan of Tow Law, February 26th 1869. They married in the district of Lanchester in 1887 and settled at Cornsay, they had 3 daughters by 1891, Dorothy Jane 1888, Margaret 1890 and Henrietta 1891 and were living at North Terrace, Thomas was employed as a coke drawer. By 1901 their family was complete with the birth of Sarah Ann 1893, John Thomas 1894, Mildred 1896 and Richard in 1900. They had moved to Commercial Street by 1901, Thomas was still the only breadwinner, however, by 1911, he was helped by John Thomas employed as a coke yard labourer. The family were living at 219, Gillow Street, Cornsay Colliery, John Thomas’s siblings, with the exception of Sarah Ann (18), Mildred (15) and Richard (11) were now married.
John Thomas was married at St. John The Baptist Church, Hamsteels, County Durham, August 5th 1916 to Margaret Halliday born 1896 at Cornsay. They settled at South Terrace, Cornsay Colliery, where their son William was born, December 17th 1916.
John Thomas was attested February 21st 1916 at Consett and assigned as Private 73250 to the Army Reserve whilst maintaining his employment at the coke ovens. He was mobilised August 18th 1917, joining the 5th Reserve Battalion Durham Light Infantry the following day at Hornsey. Private Dunning departed for the Western Front embarking December 22nd 1917, the following day at the D.L.I. Depot at Etaples he was posted to the 5th Battalion then transferred to the 10th Battalion, December 26th 1917. He remained at Etaples as during February 1918 the Army was reorganised, to this effect the 10th Battalion Durham Light Infantry was disbanded, February 12th 1918, a few days earlier he had been transferred to the 2nd Battalion part of the 6th Division.
March 21st 1918 the Germans bombarded with high explosives, gas and shrapnel shells the front on the Somme. The 2nd Battalion was the only D.L.I. battalion on the front line that day and within 36 hours had been overwhelmed with only 60 men escaping death, wounding or capture.
Private 73250 John Thomas Dunning was killed in action March 21st 1918, his body buried on the battlefield by his comrades together with Challinor, Collingwood and Jones of the 2nd Battalion, map reference 57c. d.26. c. 11. marked with crosses bearing their military details. Their bodies were exhumed by the 188th Labour Corps, January 22nd 1920, and brought into Vaulx Hill Cemetery, Pas de Calais, France for reburial with all reverence and honour by an Army Chaplain. Private Dunning is at rest grave III. E. II. At the time of his demise in 1918 he was 23 years of age.
His widow received a letter from the Infantry Records Office, York, dated October 4th 1920, it reads as follows, “Madam, I beg to inform you that, owing to the agreement with the French and Belgian Governments to remove all scattered graves for concentration in proper cemeteries, it has been found necessary to exhume the body of the late No.73250 Pte. John Thomas DUNNING, 2nd Battalion, Durham Light infantry, for re-burial at VAULX HILL BRITISH CEMETERY, 41/2 MILES NORTH EAST OF BAPAUME. I am to say that the necessity for the removal is much regretted but was found unavoidable for the reasons above given. I am to assure you that the work of re-burial has been carried out with every measure of care and reverence, and that special arrangements were made for the appropriate religious service to be held. I am, Madam, Yours faithfully, for Colonel, i/c. Infantry Records.”
His widow Margaret received all monies due to him, his awards of the British War Medal and Victory Medal sent to her at 34, Morris Street, Birtley, County Durham and a pension for herself and their son of 20 shillings 9 pence a week as of October 14th 1918 until she remarried in 1922 in the district of Chester-le-Street to Herbert Shelton. Margaret Shelton-Dunning nee Halliday died aged 59 years in 1955 registered in the district of Durham N.
William Dunning was married in 1938 to Ada I. Barker in the district of Durham Northern, they lived in the Chester-le-Street area where in 1939 he was employed as a sheet metal worker. Ada died in 1994 aged 78 years in the district of Gateshead, William in 2004 aged 88 years.
In God’s safe keeping. Rest In peace.
He is recorded at J.R. Dunning in CWGC records all other details are correct.
John Thomas Dunning is remembered at Cornsay on C116.01 at Quebec on Q2.05
He is also remembered in the D.L.I. Book of Remembrance page 54
